The Nuclear Crisis
by Leanne Quinzel
Summary: A strange new alien race has begun attacking human settlements on the outskirts of the Federation's control. However, these new being are not normal humanoids, and Dr. McCoy is at a loss on how to handle them, or the people they attack. Can a simple lieutenant in the engineering unit help him understand these creatures? Can she help him also find love amongst the chaos?
1. Chapter 1 - First Thing's First

**The Nuclear Crisis - Chapter 1 - First Things First**

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Leonard McCoy was busily scanning injured humans from the Federation settlement on the planet Ouspao of the Sneunia solar system. A makeshift hospital had been set up to treat the wounded and nurses and doctors were busily rushing around trying to help the moaning settlers.

"What do you think attacked them, Bones?" Captain James T. Kirk asked as he walked over and stood by his chief medical officer. McCoy raised an eyebrow and replied, "Well, Jim... Some have been severely burned, others mangled with broken limbs. But all of them have radiation sickness. It's as if barbarians with bats and nuclear reactors came through here!" Kirk nodded and thought for a moment before speaking again. "A few of the nurses have informed me that the patients remember the assailants as being large, glowing members who looked like they were lit from the inside by some kind of nuclear energy."  
"Lit from the inside? Impossible! No living being could survive on such elements!"  
"No, I would think not, but this is not a race of humanoids we have come across before."

Bones looked away painfully. He always felt uncomfortable with the physiologies of aliens that could live on elements deadly to humans. His thoughts were racing with worry when Spock joined the group and spoke, "Scanner recordings show that the vessel left in the direction of the Uedrillion star system." Kirk looked at him, dumbfounded and remarked, "But that star system is at the edge of the Federation's reach."  
"Yes captain, it is."  
"We have no secure control in that section of the universe."  
"I think it logical that we thoroughly investigate the nearby attacks on the other Sneunian planets. They are attacking for some unknown reason, and we cannot venture into their territory blindly."

Kirk nodded. Spock always represented his logical side, and he was correct. If they went into the Uedrillian system now, the whole crew and ship ran a risk of being completely annihilated. We shall continue onto the next planet, Mr. Spock," Kirk exclaimed, and the three men walked out of the hospital tent.

Kirk flipped open his golden communicator and spoke into it, "Scotty, we are ready to board the ship." A Scottish brogue rolled out from the speaker and replied, "Aye aye, captain." The three officers stood as still as they could and slowly disintegrated until they reassembled back aboard the USS Enterprise in the Transporter room.

After a brief exchange, Kirk and Spock left for the bridge and McCoy walked back to his medical unit. "Welcome back, doctor," called Nurse Chapel, a tall platinum blonde clad in the short, blue, science officer's dress customary for females. McCoy smiled at her and nodded back, "Thank-you, Nurse Chapel." She smiled and walked away as the doctor sat down to his computer. He began speaking into the microphone as he submitted a medical report on all the injured on Ouspao.

Nurse Chapel could not help but overhear what he had been speaking of, the burns, broken limbs, and radiation sickness. It sounded horrific and then she heard him say, "I do not understand much about radioactive substances. I am a doctor, not a nuclear physicist." The blonde walked back into the room as McCoy finished his report. "Doctor, if you do not mind me intruding, I overheard you talking about not understanding nuclear science."  
"Yes, what of it?"  
"There is a friend of mine, a Lieutenant, who is a nuclear specialist. Perhaps she could help."

McCoy thought for a moment and then said, "I guess it wouldn't hurt... Would you like to introduce me?" Nurse Chapel smiled and replied, "Yes, I definitely could. Let me see if I can locate her."

* * *

Lieutenant Leyla Davishka was busily monitoring the impulse drive engines when Montgomery Scott, the ship's chief engineer, called up to her in his heavy Scottsman accent, "Lieutenant Davishka! Nurse Chapel, is on the intercom!" Leyla looked down at the panel in front of her, confused, wondering why Christine was paging her, but nonetheless she left her post and climbed down the steep stairs to the bottom engineering room.

Leyla was a curvy, stout woman, due to her Russian lineage, but her face was round and pleasant looking, with large green eyes that struck anyone who caught her gaze. Her hair usually fell in long, auburn, curls, but when on duty, she kept them wrapped in a high ponytail, her side bangs swept across her forehead.

She pushed upon one of the intercom's buttons and answered in a slight southern accent, "Yes, Christine?" "Are you busy, Leyla?" came the nurse's reply.  
"I am not terribly busy at the moment, no. An engineer's job is quite boring when things are running smoothly."  
"I would like for you to join me in the recreation room. I want to introduce you to Dr. McCoy."

Leyla smiled for a brief second, but curbed her excitement and said, "All right, Christine, I will be their shortly." The lieutenant had always been intrigued by the good doctor, and charmed by his caring and humorous nature. But she had never formally introduced herself. He was a busy man, and she was just one of the many crewman that ran around in the background, making sure the ship ran smoothly. Perhaps now she would not be so invisible.

* * *

McCoy stood patiently next to Nurse Chapel when the curvy Leyla entered the recreational room. The doctor stared at the woman, and momentarily, his heart skipped. His gaze was locked into hers, and he could not help but stare at her. He had only seen her a few times amongst the 400 crewman that were aboard the starship, but he never forgot her face, admiring her from afar.

Leyla approached her friend and smoothed her red dress out. Nurse Chapel smiled at the two, "Leyla, this is Doctor Leonard McCoy, Dr. McCoy, this is Leyla Davishka." The two shook hands, and Leyla smiled, "It is nice to finally meet you, doctor." McCoy smiled back and replied, "I assure you, the pleasure is all mine."

Nurse Chapel couldn't help but smile wider and excused herself back to the patients in the sick bay. McCoy was about to protest, feeling nervous around this new beauty, but instead he nodded to her, and led Leyla by the elbow to a nearby table.

McCoy looked at Leyla seriously and said, "It is my understanding, Miss Davishka, that you are somewhat of an expert with nuclear science." Leyla nodded and replied, "Yes doctor, I am."  
"Have you heard of what has happened on Ouspao?"  
"No, I have not."  
"The planet has been attacked, and we have reason to believe it was by a race of humanoids that live on radioactive substances."

Leyla's eyes flew wide and she said, "But... but I've never heard of such a thing. It would kill any living thing." McCoy nodded and replied, "That is what I thought too. But as chief medical officer, I must try my best to understand the alien creatures we come across."  
"Where do I come into play?"  
"I need your help to understand."

Leyla couldn't believe the good doctor needed her help. "Yes, sir, I will help you." McCoy smiled at her and said, "Thank-you. Perhaps after your shift, you could come by the sick bay to talk to me about everything." Leyla nodded and said, "Yes, I'd be glad too." The two stood from the table, and shook hands before they said their goodbyes and parted ways.

The green-eyed engineer smiled as she walked back to the engineering deck. She felt like she finally had a purpose, and she was overoyed at being able to work with Dr. McCoy, someone whom she had always admired from afar.

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**Welcome to my newest fanfiction! I hope everyone enjoys this first chapter, and can stay along with me for the ride! All my story statuses are on my profile page.**


	2. Chapter 2 - Irradiated

**The Nuclear Crisis - Chapter 2 - Irradiated**

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Leyla was at her post watching the screens, monitoring the fusion reactor levels and the accelerator generator power, gently swiveling back and forth in her chair. The impulse engines were running beautifully, and it was almost the end of her shift. Before she left for the day, she needed to make one last round on the engineering deck, and log her daily inspection.

The lieutenant walked down the long corridors as she gazed upon the glowing electro-plasma that powered the ship. It was moving in waves of blue, purple, and every other color of the rainbow as it flowed and swirled in the translucent reactors. It was this chemical magic that drew Leyla into her love for nuclear science, and she lost herself admiring the beautiful display of colors dancing in the dark hallway.

She rounded back to the main engineering control panel, and signed off her inspection on the pad. The young woman had most definitely not forgotten about her engagement with Dr. McCoy, and briskly walked out of the engineering deck towards the lift.

* * *

McCoy was sitting at his deck, a long study of radiation sickness in front of him on the computer monitor. His brow was furrowed in thought and he looked more tired than usual. He heard the automatic doors to sick bay open and close with a metallic skid, and looked up from his desk as Leyla walked in. His eyebrows raised and he smiled when she sat down across from him. Her hair was still up in a sleeked back bun, wisps of curls peeking through at her temples and the base of her neck.

"It is good to see you again Dr. McCoy," Leyla smiled brightly as she settled into her seat. He smiled back and replied, "Likewise my dear. Please call me Leonard." The young woman could feel her ears growing warm as she said, "As long as you call me Leyla." Leonard laughed and remarked, "You've got a deal."

He swirled the computer screen around towards her and said, "I've been reading about radiation sickness just trying to get a feel for what kind of creatures we are dealing with." He scrolled down the screen pointing out the various symptoms they had observed amongst the victims, just the usual radiation sickness type illnesses. They reached the end of the article and McCoy became very serious and said to Leyla, "However there is one symptom that is not on this list that makes me wonder what kind of radioactive material we are exactly dealing with. Our medicines have been able to clear up any radiation burns and nausea, getting levels back down to normal, however patients begin to form a sort of stony exterior on their skin. I've gathered a few samples of it from the battle site infirms and have it in the lab here for analysis."

The two left their seats, and walked over to the science lab where McCoy pointed out the strange stones. They were very rocky and unorganized in nature, a muddy brown color with dull amber veins running through it. Leyla was examining the rock closely, squinting at it quizzically as she proclaimed, "I have never seen anything like this. It's like a mixture of siderite and baltic amber." The good doctor turned to the screen next to the chamber the rock was in and pulled up the geiger counter screen. "This rock has a low geiger reading. Non-lethal levels, yet it was produced by the same radioactive illness affecting these people," McCoy stated. Leyla was more than confused by this point and could not voice an explanation for the strange rocky outgrowths on the victims.

After a moment of silence, Leyla turned to Leonard and said, "I think I may return to my cabin, pull up a few articles on the telescreen, and see if I can come up with any explanations." McCoy nodded and the young lieutenant turned to walk away. Just before she reached the door, the chief medical officer called out, "Leyla!" The woman turned around quickly with a, "Hmm?"  
"Thank-you for helping me with this. It is much appreciated."

Leyla could feel her ears growing warm again and she replied, "You're welcome, Doctor McCoy," And with that she walked away to her cabin.

* * *

The young nuclear engineer had fallen asleep at the small table in her crew cabin, the computer screen having gone black from inactivity. The clock slowly ticked past three in the morning, leaving everything else silent in the room. Drool was running from Leyla's mouth onto her sleeve, when she woke up with a start to the intercom whistle. "Leyla, I think you need to come down to the medical bay right away," came Dr. McCoy's voice, very urgently. "Right away sir!" she responded, having jumped up to reach the intercom. Out the door she practically flew, running down the hall towards the lift.

Once she reached the medical lab, Leyla found McCoy hunched over near the containment bay that the rock was in. When he heard the doors, he stood straight and said, "I don't know what to think of this. I don't know what to think of this at all." Worry was written all over his face, and as Leyla stared upon the glowing stone, her face took on the same look. The stone had obviously grown larger, and the once dull veins were now a bright interchanging swirl of red, orange, and yellow, dulling and brightening as if by a heartbeat.

Leonard turned towards the screen, switched it once more to the geiger counter and pointed at it's elevated radiation levels. "This thing is growing despite the toxic levels of radiation it's producing!" Leyla's head was spinning as she stared at the glowing rock. The good doctor lightly grabbed her arm, pulling her out of her stupor and stared at her with his tired blue eyes. "This thing is alive!"

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**A/N: Story updates are on my profile page. Thankfully I've finally found a break to come up with the next chapter to this new story. Enjoy!**


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